Cyril was born in Egypt between 370 and 380. Nephew of Archbishop Theophilus, he succeeded him in the see of Alexandria in 412, and he remained its Archbishop until his death in 444. In addition to his pastoral duties, he devoted much of his time and his work as a theologian to the fight against skeptics: the Arians first (especially between 424 and 428), and the Nestorians afterwards. He had Nestorius condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431, with the support of Emperor Theodosius II and the agreement of Bishop Celestine of Rome, and confirmed the validity of the Christological term theotokos (Mother of God) given to the Virgin Mary, which Nestorius disputed. Cyril attempted a reconciliation with the Orientals in 433, which led to a confession of faith (probably written by the Antiochian theologian Theodoret of Cyrus) which he quoted and took up in the Letter Laetentur caeli, a text often considered the true dogmatic fruit of Ephesus.
He is credited with exegetical works devoted to the Old and New Testaments. He wrote an extensive apologetic treatise in which he refuted Julian's book Against the Galileans. He also quotes many lost pagan authors, leaving us valuable excerpts. He also wrote polemical anti-Arian and anti-Nestorian works. He left some thirty Festal Letters as well as a correspondence largely related to the Council of Ephesus.
Birth date | ? |
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Death date | |
Activity | Egypt, Alexandria |
Group of authors | Alexandria |